Applicator



L. F. BON HAM APPLICATOR July 26, 1949. 2,476,956

Original Filed June 28, 1940 m1 12M or: .15 W16 FRANKLIN BONHAM 6/ A'I'TORNIiY Patented July 26, 1949 TENT m APPLICATOR Lewis Franklin'Bonham, North Plainfield, N. J

assigncr to The Personal Products Corporation,

- New Brunswick, Jersey N. 3., a corporation of New Continuation of application Serial No. 342,895, 1 June 28, 1940. This application June 18,1943,

' Serial No. 491,361

This invention relates to medical applicators and more particularly to an applicator especially adapted to contain and provide for the insertion of a tampon into a body cavity. This application is a continuation of my co-pendin application Serial No. 342,895 for Improvements in applicators filed June 28, 1940, and now abandoned.

It is anobject of this invention to provide an improved sanitary, single-use tampon applicator, which may also be used as a container andwhich facilitates-insertion of a tampon into the vagina or other body cavity without injury or discomfort and without theusers-hands touching either the tampon or the body.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent from the following description when read in connection with the drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a, longitudinal section taken through the center of an applicator and illustrating a tampon positioned in the applicator prior to expulsion; and

Figure 2 is a similar view illustrating the tampon expelled from the applicator.

Referring to the drawings, the applicator of this invention is composed of a tube or container l formed of relatively stiff cardboard or other suitable material, as is common in this field. Cardboard is preferred and is particularly suitable because it is sufiiciently rigid, safe, and noninjurious in use as distinguished from metals, glass, and similar substances and is particularly suitable for single-use applicators, being inexpensive. The tube is cylindrical in cross section, of proper diameter to snugly receive and frictionally hold a tampon 3, and is approximately twice the length of the tampon or suitable length to permit ready manipulation of the applicator without the users fingers contacting the body, and becoming soiled and without the tampon being engaged and becoming unsterile. The discharge end of the tube is unrestricted, i. e., of the full diameter of the tube to permit free discharge of the tampon, whereas the other end of the tube is crimped as at 5 to form a restricted opening of proper diameter to slidingly receive and guide a, tubular plunger 1 for axial movement relatively to the tube l.

Plunger I is of considerably less diameter than the tube I but of sufficient diameter to provide necessary rigidity to the plunger and to receive the withdrawal cord of the tampon, which cord also serves to guide the inner end of the plunger. The plunger 1 is also preferably formed of paper and is of approximately the same length of tube I, i. e., sufficiently long to expel the tampon from 3 Claims. ((11. 128263) all the tube. 'Bothends of the plunger? are beaded or rolled to provide beads orfian es 9 of somewhat greater diameter than that of the'r'es't'r'icted opening in the one'end of tube- I The-flange 9 on the inner end of the plunger acting in cooperation with the restricted opening formed at 5 interlocks the plunger'to the tube whereby withdrawal of one of the two members from the vagina, or other body cavity also will cause removal of the other member." Flanges 9 also'in'surethat the two elements will not become disengaged during packaging and shipping and eliminate the necessity of any assembly onthe part of the user prior to actual use. The tube 'and plunger are assembled in the first instance by forcing the plunger into and through the restricted end 5" of the tube from the restricted end. The formation of the crimped end 5 and the character of the material permits this being done by permitting the end wall to be forced inwardly slightly toward the distant end of the tube as shown in the drawings with the resuit that the restricted opening through the end wall or flange lies slightly inwardly from its end of the outer tube. This construction also prevents subsequent separation of the two elements unless separation is deliberately forced. The crimped end 5 because of the smaller diameter of the plunger 1 also provides a guide for the plunger which guide permits angular or radial movement of the plunger relatively to the tube I as well as axial movement as described previously, thus preventing binding or locking of the two tubes if the plunger is not moved by the user in a direction exactly in coaxial alignment with the tube.

Flanges 9 also serve two other functions in that the inner flange 9 provides a greater contact area of the plunger against the tampon and therefore reduces the tendency to mutilate the tampon when being expelled. Similarly, flange 9 upon the outer end of the plunger which is engaged by the finger of the user, provides a more comfortable contact end for the user.

In use the applicator With a tampon therein as shown in Figure 1 is inserted into a body cavity such as the vagina for a short distance to a point beyond the sphincter muscle after which the plunger 1 is pushed inwardly with respect to the tube 5 thus expelling the tampon into the vaginal cavity. After the tampon is free from thecontaming tube l the tube and plunger may be removed by withdrawing, it being only necessary to withdraw either the plunger or the tube, 1. e., it is not necessary for the user to grasp both the tube and the plunger.

Forming the plunger substantially smaller than l 3 the containing tube not only eliminates any frictionor binding between the tube and plunger, 7

thus making insertion of the tampon easier, but also eliminates any possibility of the delicate side walls or tissues of the vagina or other cavity being pinched "or turn by being caught vbetween the sides of the tube and plunger and tube.

Other advantages will be apparent to those skilled in the art to whom it will also be apparent that minor changes may be made in the details of construction without departing from the spirit 7 and scope of the invention as =de fln'ediin the appended claims.

I claim: 1. A single-use tampon applicator comprising a thin walled tube adapted 'to jre'ceive' and hold 'a tampon in one end thereoffs'aidtube'being"flanged inwardly at its other end to provide a yielding end diameter than said tube s'o as 'tobe freely movable therein projecting into said tube through: said restricted-opening, said plunger having a flange of greater diameter than; said restricted opening upon its end lying within said' tube to prevent accil- .dentalremovaltherefroni and being guided by the edges of'saidrestricted openingior sliding and angular movement within; said tube whereby a tampon positioned in said tube may be expelled V therefrom by movement of said plunger "into said tubev 7 Wall having a restricted opening at' said latterend and a tubular pluhger of substantially less 20,

tially within said first named tube with one of its I extremities in engagement with said core, and a conical spacer flange integrally in-turned on one of said tubes to telescopically receive and engage the. others oi-said tubes tom'aintain said tubes in substantially uniform spaced relation.

3. 'A single use tampon applicator comprising apaper tube of sufiicient internal diameter to receive and releasably hold awtampon in one end 7 thereof, said tube being flanged inwardly at its other end to provide an integral yielding end wall, said end wall having a restricted opening therethrough positioned. inwardly from said latter end of the tube, and a plunger of substantialy less diameter than said tube, projecting into said tube through said restricted opening, said plunger being guided by the edges of said restricted opening for sliding and angular movement'within said tube V i and being of sufficient length to engagea tampon v r positioned in said tube and expel thetampon from the tube'by movement'of said plunger into said -2. jA combined co ntainer and applicator for an internal catamenialdevice of .-thef type consistin of a compressed core of absorbent rmaterial'gan elongated-paper tube of a diameter to-releasably receive said coretherein; another paper tube partubev v a I 1 L W S A pilNB N il M-i 3EFEBENoEs5oITEo V j The following reierenlces are of record in 'the file of this patent: H l

" UNI'I'E STAT sPA'IEN'I S Number Name; q p Date 940,519; NOV. 16, '1909 2,024,318 Haas l )ec. 17, 1935 1 'FOREIGN PATENT S Number: I c ountyyg .l 

